Networked Learning

School’s Access to Information and Communication Technologies – Stage 2
The development of special education in Denmark has been strengthened since the beginning of the 1990s because information and communication technologies have become generally available. In 1997 the Minister of Education in Denmark presented a blueprint of a total ICT education strategy for Denmark schools. The blueprint focused on five central areas: the pupils and ICT; the teachers and ICT; the subjects and ICT; equal and flexible access to lifelong education; and co-ordination of ICT based research and education. Denmark has struggled to carry out the blueprint for several reasons. There is still a lot of opposition to ICT in schools and teachers need more education on developing opportunities within ICT and special education. Many teachers do not have any experience in the use of modern computers, and there is insufficient training for those teachers that are presently being educated on ICT. At the moment, however, there is not even one Macintosh or PC per student in the Danish Primary and Lower Secondary Schools. Overtime Denmark plans on improving ICT within the school system through a large spread of PC’s in the home and an extensive use of ICT throughout Denmark society as a hold.

Enhancing Education with ICTs – Stage 2
Before ICTs can become implemented into the education system in Denmark, the funding of hardware and software is a major issue. The provision of in service training of the teachers in order to help them integrate ICT into the individual education plans is another issue. Denmark is planning on enhancing Education with ICT in several ways. The Ministry of Education believes an ICT and SEN website can be used to communicate information that is useful for implementing ICT throughout the schools in Denmark. Also the ministry of education in Denmark believes that an electronic conference with school officials will help to create a clearer understanding of ICT and how to implement it correctly.
In the short-term programs are being established to give teacher’s knowledge and to develop opportunities within ICT and special education. The long-term solution for Denmark seems to be an educational re-adjustment in thought as well as action. There needs to be a new school view and thereby a new understanding of the life and learning of children.

Developing the ICT Workforce – Stage 3
Denmark is currently constructing programs to offer teachers the knowledge and the ability to be able to give schools a change to access ICTs. It is important that Denmark sets a budget of money to train teachers to be highly skilled in education with ICT. Denmark is also developing learning labs to test and develop new learning strategies within an educational ICT framework. The government is also spending a large budget to increase the number of available PCs for students. Also, universities in Denmark are researching new educational policies to help ease the transition to an education with ICT.